http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/
Cmon, were talking about a company who considered acquiring Circuit City. That tells you right there that they have no direction. ]]>Sep 15th 2009 8:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 15th 2009 10:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/
I nevertheless agree that Blockbuster has no chance until they drop their on demand service and launch unlimited online subscription. Even then they will be late in the game.]]>Sep 15th 2009 10:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/
But CircuitCity founded CarMax which looks fine and stays afloat. Go figure...

I nevertheless agree that Blockbuster has no chance until they drop their on demand service and launch unlimited online subscription. Even then they will be late in the game.

P.S. Engadget's comments system is still full of bugs]]>Sep 15th 2009 10:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 15th 2009 8:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 15th 2009 8:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 15th 2009 9:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 15th 2009 8:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 15th 2009 8:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 15th 2009 8:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 15th 2009 9:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/
Blockbuster has retail stores that you are able to switch out your Mail movies with for free, 5x a month.
Blockbuster has online movie streaming, albeit at stupid prices. But, they are movies you actually want to see. Not Magnum P.I. re-runs
Blockbuster is the same price as Netflix, but cheaper if you have Blu-Ray because they dont charge a Blu Ray convenience fee.
Blockbuster does not slow down orders because you are a frequent renter of movies like Netflix does:

"If you watch lots of DVDs from Netflix every month, it may also take longer for you to get to the top of the waiting list for extremely popular movies. According to Netflix, this is to give the best possible service to all customers. However, critics of the practice refer to it as throttling and say that it puts Netflix’s best customers at a disadvantage. Although Netflix claims it has always given its least-frequent renters the highest priority for new titles, it didn’t always disclose this fact in its terms of use. For this reason, the throttling debate led to a class-action lawsuit - Frank Chavez v. Netflix Inc. - by users who accused the company of wrongdoing. Netflix settled the suit in 2006, but the settlement is currently in appeals."
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/netflix3.htm

Oh, and they actually have retail stores to switch out movies right away if you so choose!!!
]]>Sep 15th 2009 9:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/
Blockbuster is dead.]]>Sep 16th 2009 3:39AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 16th 2009 7:08AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/
Trust me, Blockbuster throttles their online rentals at least as much as netflix does.
Blockbuster also laid off all of their staff that were actually capable of implementing all these "innovative" products they keep issuing press releases about but never releasing.
They are now relying 100% on a 3rd party, offshore IT provider for all their R&D needs. Their kiosks, set-top boxes, connected devices, etc. will never see the light of day.]]>Sep 16th 2009 2:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 15th 2009 8:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 15th 2009 8:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 15th 2009 8:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 15th 2009 8:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 15th 2009 9:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 15th 2009 9:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 15th 2009 9:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/
They sell products under the Systemax™ and Ultra™ brands. In Europe, they are known as MISCO.

And if that wasn't enough, they also own InfoTel USA distributors, ComputerTV (com.puter.tv), Global Computer Supplies / Global Government & Education., SYX Distribution, and SYX Services. In Europe, they are known as MISCO. Also Global Industrial Equipment and Nexel Industries

So, while the original CompUSA (formerly known as SoftWarehouse before the original Softwarehouse sued them) is gone, as is Circuit City, the names live on.

This is kinda like what Packard Bell did in the 80s. Bought a name that had some branding behind it (heck, everyone in the 60s owned at least one PB radio) and used the brand to create familiarity.

While BlockBuster is THE name in B&M video stores, for via mail NetFlix is still the leader, and for the most part RedBox has become the name for kiosks (mainly because of their ownership by CoinStar) With 7-Eleven looking to possibly expand their RedBox installations I think ti will create a different marketplace in the B&M world. If BlockBuster can gain that level of kiosk installations it could change the marketplace, but then again, it is really all controlled by the studios.
]]>Sep 16th 2009 4:27AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/
good riddance!]]>Sep 15th 2009 8:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/
They stifle creativity, shovel crap at their customers, and do their damnedest to avoid carrying anything with any real artistic weight if the alternative is to stock three walls full of "Waterworld" or "Transformers II" or something equally inane and mass-appeal.

Just try to find an uncut, theatrical version of John Waters' "A Dirty Shame" in a Blockbuster store. You won't. You'll find the Blockbuster edit of the movie (called "The Neuter Version"). Try to find a non-blockbuster classic from the 50s, 60s, 70s, or early 80s. The selection is terrible. Black & white movies? They purged a lot of those from their selection years ago because market research determined that young, hip customers don't like movies that aren't in color.

They shun cult films, except those that are widespread in their popularity (which sort of takes them out of true "cult" status) and they absolutely despise dedicating much space to foreign films, unless it's cheap anime (gag. L.C.D. indeed.) or major foreign hits. Want to watch a classic film in the original French? You're probably not going to find it in Blockbuster, but you might find a dubbed, colorized version-- Or maybe just the American remake.

They resisted widescreen versions like they were the plague; Even when the filmmaker did not intend to release full-screen version on videotape, Blockbuster insisted and drove the industry standard of completely screwing up aspect ratios so the people renting videos wouldn't have black bars on their TVs. When DVD and widescreen TVs came along, they still made every effort to resist proper aspect ratio, insisting that studios release a "widescreen" version that was in 16:9 so that there were no black bars.

In short, Blockbuster decided about 15 years ago that they wanted the dumbest, most shallow, least-informed people as their primary customers. They decided that the stupid filmgoer was more lucrative than the film buffs and hobbyists. They chose to cater to the future Wal*Mart customer base rather than please the studios and directors whose movies they were renting.

Blockbuster did EVERYTHING wrong, including killing the mom & pop video stores along the way, and they deserve to go down in flames.

My condolences to those people who will lose jobs over this (and you know it won't be anyone in the corporate office; It will be the hard-working people who keep their stores running who are sacked). ]]>Sep 15th 2009 9:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/You're right. It makes a lot of sense for any business to cater to a non-profitable group. Why cater to 200,000 people with money by using stupid movies (i.e. anything made by tyler perry) when they could cater to 150 people with "artistic" movies? Should they carry both? Yes, it'd be nice, but it doesn't make any business sense, and - news flash! - they're a business. Also, yeah, they should definitely have kept around the mom-and-pop stores. It makes sense to create competition for yourselves. If anyone wanted those shitty mom and pop stores, they would've gone to them instead of blockbuster.
Also, most people don't like those big black bars on their screen. The whole idea was to remove those bars. If people didn't like that, they'd never rent from blockbuster, but they did. The only reason BB is failing is because the last CEO kept f-ing up. They were slow to adapt to new things because they figured renting movies in stores as a family outing would never go out of style, but people today would much rather chill at home, download movies, and get fat.]]>Sep 16th 2009 2:36AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 16th 2009 3:17AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/
Well written. It isn't often when I come across intelligent posts on Engadget. ]]>Sep 16th 2009 5:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 15th 2009 8:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 16th 2009 6:54AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/
I recall getting a voicemail from Blockbuster saying I was $1.07 overdue and if I didn't pay it in the next week, I would be reported to a credit agency. What I didn't understand was why they couldn't tell me sooner. In other words, if I turned the movie in a day late, why not just call me about a week later or so instead of 45 days later? I didn't even know I turned it in a day late.

Meh! Good riddance!

]]>Sep 15th 2009 8:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 15th 2009 8:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 15th 2009 8:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 15th 2009 9:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 15th 2009 9:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 15th 2009 9:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/
rename all stores bitTORRENT and then pretend you are making money.]]>Sep 15th 2009 10:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/
Blockbuster is up there with some of the most hated companies - Kaiser HMO, Monsanto, Haliburton, and SCO

Lets remember what Blockbuster did:

* Moved in with multi-million dollar stores and killed mom-and-pop video rental shops by aggressively undercutting them on pricing only to turn around and raise the prices once the competition was gone.
* Sanitized selection to remove any family unfriendly titles (NC-17 wtf)
* Homogenized selection which ignored local population's tastes (ethnic, etc.)
* Plastered the walls end to end with the latest boring releases and buried small budget, indie flicks.
* Killed porno dead and relegated skin flicks to perv shops (whereas in the past you could rent them at any video rental place behind the curtain)
* Screwed customers with late fees to a point where people chose not to rent than to get stuck with bullshit charges.

Thank god Netflix came along and put these clowns on the path to irrelevancy. Stock price as of today is somewhere in the junk territory. I doubt in 10 years anyone is going to even remember Blockbuster. Their business model is unsustainable and their online presence is a joke compared to competition.]]>Sep 15th 2009 9:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/
lol]]>Sep 15th 2009 9:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/
"Moved in with multi-million dollar stores and killed mom-and-pop video rental shops by aggressively undercutting them on pricing only to turn around and raise the prices once the competition was gone."

Sorry this is also bullshit. They raised the prices because studios were catching on to how much money was being made. If you had ANY idea how much each copy of a VHS tape cost Blockbuster you would shit bricks. In some cases it was 3 figures.

"Sanitized selection to remove any family unfriendly titles (NC-17 wtf)"

This I agree with. They did some colorful editing back in the 90's. However I've seen NOTHING in the last 7 years to suggest they are still doing it.

"Killed porno dead and relegated skin flicks to perv shops (whereas in the past you could rent them at any video rental place behind the curtain)"

This is the choice of any company. Porn has ALWAYS been a controversial topic. I'm not saying it was right, nor am I saying it was wrong. It was a decision and a company isn't "evil" for choosing either way.

"Plastered the walls end to end with the latest boring releases and buried small budget, indie flicks."

They plastered the wall with what people want to see. And to be blunt...your boring is another person's entertainment. And you have NO idea of the economics of a video store. Those 200 titles cost half the price of the some of those other titles that they only purchased 50 of. Then there is the fact that movie studios give only X number of titles to a company and they have to figure out what market it will sell best in. Finally they need to try and figure out how many average rentals a movie is going to get to make a return on that individual copy. You make it out as if its black and white. Its a damn complicated business.

"Homogenized selection which ignored local population's tastes (ethnic, etc.)"

Bullshit.

The BS late fee charges.

I'm sorry but as a former BB CSR from back in '98 the horseshit that came in with excuses was beyond funny, it could have become a TV series. Here's a thought. How about people taking fooking responsibility for when something is due back. Then there were the arguments on when Thursday was. When the store opened or at midnight when the store closed. Bitch what part of midnight don't you get? Sorry but I wanted to decapitate some of these class A losers.

I'm not defending all their practices, but you make this out as if its any worse then Hollywood Video or any other the other former chains out there. And they weren't.

PS- You missed one thing. blockbuster is a purveyor of Pan and Scan. Instead of biting the bullet and explaining why letterbox is better and making the transition BB kept enabling the studios and to this day I still encounter people who don't get what Letterbox is.]]>Sep 15th 2009 9:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtCJAN9JCfs]]>Sep 15th 2009 9:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 15th 2009 9:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 15th 2009 9:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 16th 2009 2:40AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 15th 2009 9:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/
I hate to admit that the Total Access program actually works out to be a great deal for me, since I like to rent Blu Ray and have a store nearby where I can do trade-ins.

I keep noticing more and more plastic bins of clearance movies, and other junk like posters, cheap digital cameras, and other random stuff. I keep thinking that they're going to close because it looks like they're liquidating.

I think the retail video store as a whole is dead, and Blockbuster knows it's only a matter of time. Soon enough, everyone will either get their movies by mail or some kind of download or streaming format.

My dream would be to have a monthly subscription that would allow HD downloads, like a 3-at-a-time plan, but on a hard drive. It's the best of all worlds!]]>Sep 15th 2009 10:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 15th 2009 11:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/
I only used Netflix for rare shit. We should all be going to Blockbuster, etc. for as much as possible. We should all use the checkers instead of the self checkout kiosks.

I'm not talking about spending money going to Starbucks just to help with jobs, even though you hate coffee. I'm talking about using as many humans as possible for something you already want to buy.

Don't let skynet gain power! They're going to Netflix us all razor-edged DVDs that come apart in the machines half way through the movie and decapitate us and our precious families!]]>Sep 16th 2009 12:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/
]]>Sep 16th 2009 1:00AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/blockbuster-plans-to-part-with-960-retail-stores-by-end-of-2010/Sep 16th 2009 1:58AM